Overview

Published: 25/02/2018

by www.belgaumonline.com

Photos

Rotomac Pens promoter Vikram Kothari, who has been arrested by the CBI in a multi-crore bank fraud case recently, is facing a criminal case in Belagavi, but had secured bail. However, since he has not attended the hearings so far, he faces the prospect of having his bail cancelled.

The case was registered against Kothari at Udyambag police station by Gururaj Jainapur, a noted industrialist of Belagavi (FIR No. 1325/2013). Jainapur, who was into export of iron ore, had struck a deal with Kothari’s Rotomac Global Pvt Ltd in 2010 for a supply of 25,000 tons of iron ore which was to be exported from Goa to China.

Jainapur agreed to pay Rs 3 crore following which Kothari supplied the first consignment of 5,000 tons but asked Jainapur to pay up the entire amount beforehand. Jainapur agreed but asked him to encash the cheque only after the supplying the entire consignment.

However, Kothari went ahead and deposited the cheque but it bounced. Following this, a dispute arose between the two and Kothari had allegedly hired contract killers to eliminate Jainapur.

Sometime later, Kothari arrived in Belagavi to meet Jainapur along with two people who identified themselves as Superintendent of Police and Deputy Superintendent of Police of CBI, New Delhi. They inquired with Jainapur about the business conflict. After the inquiry, they ‘seized’ both the cars of Jainapur and took them away with them. They also took his signatures on some documents, which they said, was required to complete some legal procedures.

After about six months of the incident, Jainapur received a call from Goa and the caller, who identified himself as a car mechanic, said the repair work on his car had been completed. The caller asked Jainapur to pay the charges and take his vehicle from the workshop. Jainapur asked him about the registration number of the car and to his surprise, realised it was the same car which was seized by fake CBI officers.

When Jainapur enquired with the mechanic as to who had delivered the car for repair, he said that it was some employee of Rotomac Pens Ltd.Jainapur then realised that Kothari had cheated him and immediately filed a case against Kothari at Udyambag police station. A police team arrested Kothari from Uttar Pradesh in 2016.

The other two accused, who had identified themselves as CBI officials, were also arrested. Subsequently, a charge sheet was filed in the JMFC IV court in Belagavi. However, Kothari has not attended court for during the last 5-6 hearings and his bail is likely to be cancelled.